Industrial processes produce mixtures of particles and/or fluids that are separated and/or filtered by filtration systems. To reduce waste and cost, one part of the mixture is recaptured and/or recycled. Due to space limitations, other parts of the mixture are stored and/or treated off-site. In one example, a gyratory sifter separates particles above a certain size from the mixture.
In another example, a vibratory shaker separates drill cuttings and drill fluid from a slurry. The drill fluid is recaptured while the drill cuttings are collected. In some locations, such as off-shore oil rigs, space limitations do not allow storage of drill cuttings on-site for extended periods of time. Additionally, cuttings are often contaminated by the drilling fluid. To conform to environmental standards, cuttings are treated before disposal. However, cuttings are treated off-site due to the space limitations of the drilling rig. The drill cuttings are temporarily stored and then removed for processing at a separate treatment facility and/or disposal facility. The drill cuttings are loaded into containers for transport by trucks or ships.
The output of the filtration system may be a distance from the location of the cuttings storage area and/or transportation area. Accordingly, the cuttings are moved from the filtration system to the transportation location using, for example front end loaders. However, in some locales, such as a deep sea rig, front loaders are impractical and/or dangerous.
One or more augers are also used to transport the cuttings to the storage system and/or transportation system. However, operating and/or maintaining the augers is hazardous. The augers have a rotating helical screw blade, known as the flight, that acts as a screw conveyor to move the cuttings through a trough from the filtration system to the storage system and/or transport system. The trough and flight are either covered or protected by fencing and/or railing. In locations with space limitations, the precautions required to safely operate the augers make their use impractical.